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The number that concern Bill O'Brien most isn't the national ranking beside Northwestern's name. It isn't the number of playmakers who dot the Wildcats' skill positions. It isn't even the zero underneath their record in the loss column.

It's 719.

That's how many yards Northwestern piled up last week in its 44-29 win over Indiana, running 93 plays and completely controlling the game with its relentless, fast-paced offense.

Now, it's Penn State's chance to put a stop to it.

Today, the Nittany Lions will try to extend their three-game winning streak and prevent No. 24 Northwestern's first 6-0 start in 50 years. The noon kickoff at Beaver Stadium is Penn State's biggest game to date in the O'Brien era. A win would help the Nittany Lions keep pace in their drive to win the Big Ten Leaders Division, and it could also help to erase some of the demons from their recent past against spread offenses.

In the season opener against Ohio, the Bobcats' spread offense accounted for nearly 500 yards and ran 88 plays in a 24-14 Penn State loss. O'Brien said the challenge in slowing Northwestern won't be any less formidable.

"They do a nice job with their tempo. They play very fast. They do a great job of spreading you out and making you make plays in space," O'Brien said. "We have to understand who their top players are, where they are in the formation. We have to understand which quarterback is in the game.

"We have got a big, big challenge this week."

The Wildcats have plenty of weapons, but none have shown the versatility of Kain Colter. The junior emerged as a triple threat against the Hoosiers. He rushed for 161 yards - joining tailback Venric Mark as 100-yard rushers in the game - and threw three passes as a quarterback, and he also lined up at receiver enough to catch nine passes for 131 yards.

In all, he scored four touchdowns.

Colter has a history against Penn State, too. Last season, despite quarterback Dan Persa starting and playing most of the game, Colter still led the Wildcats in rushing and receiving yards.

Penn State's defensive goal is a simple one: Prevent the Northwestern offense from imposing its will by limiting its chances.

The Nittany Lions offense, which ran 52 times for 173 yards in a 35-7 win over Illinois and has dominated the time of possession battles in each of the last two games, will play a part in that, too. Running backs Zach Zwinak and Bill Belton have been strong in recent weeks, and quarterback Matt McGloin has played solid games in back-to-back wins against Northwestern, piling up six touchdown passes without throwing an interception.

The Nittany Lions say they have to play just as well - and more importantly, mistake-free - today.

"Obviously, we want to control the tempo. We want to control the pace," guard John Urschel said. "It will be very important to take advantage of all the opportunities we have on offense."

Coming off of their emotional win over the Fighting Illini, and with their bye week next week, some have questioned whether Penn State might be in line for a psychological letdown.

"We'll motivate ourselves," McGloin said. "They're 5-0. It's our homecoming. Nothing would be better than handing them their first loss."

We want to be the first team to beat them."

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